AFCON 2012 squad regroups for Zambeef Kaleza Tournament

Three of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions will be in action on Saturday, April 8, at Zambeef’s Zamfest football and food extravaganza in the Lusaka Showgrounds.
Former Chipolopolo team captain Christopher Katongo will lead Felix Katongo and Joseph Musonda, along with Buchiza Mfune, Joseph Chisanga, in donning their boots at Zamfest for the friendly match against the heat winners of the company’s Kaleza football tournament, preliminary rounds of which are being held at the Bank of Zambia Recreation Centre on Saturday, April 1.

For those who miss the action, the tournament will also be broadcast on DStv’s football magazine show Bola Ya Pa Zed with highlights from the preliminary on SuperSport 9 channel 209 Blitz the week after the event.
“It will make for an exciting match to have the champions challenged by an amateur team and hopefully will add that much more excitement and fun for the festival goers,” said Zambeef Joint Chief Executive Officer Dr Carl Irwin.
The tournament will be one part of Zambeef’s massive Zamfest event at the Showgrounds, which will also see the launch of DVD sales of the e18hteam documentary that captures the passion, excitement and national pride of the Zambian football team as it charts the fortunes of the national Chipolopolo team – from the lows of the 1993 Gabon air crash to the highs of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) victory.
“We are really excited to have the five players on board as we launch the e18hteam DVD. It is fitting given that the film is about and celebrate Zambian football and what better way than to have some of the actual team members from 2012 present,” said Dr Irwin.
The event will also incorporate a food festival and music from some of the country’s top artists, including Pompi, Willz, Cactus Agony, Maureen Lilanda and Sebastien Dutch.
Zambeef sponsored production of the e18hteam DVD, documentary, which is the work of producer Ngosa Chungu and Spanish writer, director and co-producer Juan Rodriguez-Briso. It follows themes of Zambian pride, spirit, sportsmanship and perseverance as the country went from losing 18 national players in a tragic plane crash (1993) to the hard-won victory in 2012.
The Zamfest, as the DVD launch event, also promises the most exciting chefs from across Africa, 50 world class pop-up restaurants, more than 100 international and local types of cuisine to sample, the best of local and international music acts, and a wide selection of local and exotic beverages.  To add to the event will be a “knock-out round” football competition, made up of eight amateur teams. The winners receiving a cash prize and the opportunity to face-off against five of Zambia’s current football stars.  Other event day competitions will include a Best Braai competition and an attempt at breaking a world record, yet to be disclosed.
Zambeef has a long association with football. Its Zamleather division makes the popular Kaleza Z-12 model leather soccer boots, the first to be locally designed and manufactured in Zambia. Zamleather is also home to the Alive & Kicking employment-generation project that manufacturers quality leather soccer balls that carry health messages and are distributed to under-privileged teams nationwide.
Throughout its history Zambeef has supported a number of football teams playing in leagues and at community level, and has groomed footballers at the grassroots including AFCON 2012 squad member James Chamanga.